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NEWS in October 1998:

Nick Lunt has decided to leave the Big Town Playboys. The band (and me too, of course) wishes him all the best for the future.
Gabi

Following gig preview must be from 1996, I suppose.

Maybe you think playing a penny whistle is kid's stuff, but for Big Six horn player Al Nichols, mastering the tiny flute-like instrument has been an important part of his job. The young Brit and his big-beat combo from London hit Hollywood this month as part of their West Coast tour of America, supporting their second CD We the Boys Will Rock Ya!

The plaid-loving sextet break all the rules when they make music: they are roots-rock revivalists, creating an infectious blend of swing, guitar rock and doo-wop that gets audiences out of their chairs. In fact, no one sat down at all when the group played The Viper Room a few weeks back. Versatile, surging rhythms are The Big Six's signature sound, and when bandmates Nichols and baritone sax player Nick Lunt traded licks onstage, everyone was digging all the animated fun.

Something of a "supergroup" in its own right, The Big Six is made up of members from some of swing's most extraordinary bands: The Big Town Playboys (who backed Jeff Beck on his Gene Vincent tribute record), The Stargazers (who are quite the chart-makers over in England), King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys and Sugar Ray's Flying Fortress. You'll never find them dressed in anything but their matching plaid suits, which have garnered them the nickname "The Tartan Noise Boys." Their very cool version of T. Rex's "20th Century Boy" is always a showstopper, and went straight to number one last year on England's independent R&B charts.

One Note: To check out We The Boys Will Rock Ya!, contact Hepcat Records (P.O. Box 1108, Orange, CA 92668; (800) 404-4117; hepcatreco@aol.com).

In Concert: October 9 and 17 (1996?) , the Derby, 4500 Los Feliz Blvd., (213) 663-8979.

"We The Boys Will Rock Ya!" - the brand new album from The Big Six, England's premier big beat combo, with their unique blend of hybrid dance sounds! The band combines the hottest swing, the power of James Brown's horns, the drive of Bill Haley's rhythm section, and the ska groove of the Skatellites, along with R&B, rockabilly, jump-jive and doo-wop to produce a refreshingly new 1990's powerhouse sound.

A supergroup in the true sense of the word, The Big Six boast members from some spectacular bands including The Big Town Playboys, The Stargazers, King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys, The Chevalier Brothers, The Ray Gelato Giants, Sugar Ray's Flying Fortress and Big Joe Louis & The Blues Kings. Dressed in extravagantly cut, loud plaid suits, The Big Six provide a dynamic, wild, and excitingly visual show. Their first album, Ready to Rock...! has proved a consistent seller around the world, while their version of 20th Century Boy went straight to the number one in England's independent R&B charts.

The band are currently wowing excited audiences with their spectacular live shows, selling out top U.S. and U.K. venues as well as their tours around the rest of the world. A thirty date tour of the U.S. West Coast kicks off on the 22nd of September 1997.

Sunday, March 22, 1998; USA - Albuquerque, Dingo Bar: Stick Big Sandy and his Flyrite Boys in a blender with Bill Haley and the Comets, add a dash of Skatelites and you've got a musical milkshake flavored with rockabilly, R&B, doo-wop and jump-jive. Call it the Big Six, too thick to sip with a straw.

England's premiere big-beat combo, the Big Six combine a red hot horn section with original rock 'n' roll groove and a ferocious rockabilly sound, rivaling that of any counterpart or contemporary. Dressed in loud, impeccably tailored plaid suits replete with little black bow ties, the sextet is rumored to sponsor a live show that's a rockabilly fan's wet dream come true. The Big Six are the very definition of "supergroup," made up of members of some of England's most extraordinary bands past, including the Big Town Playboys (who you may recognize as the band who backed Jeff Beck on his Gene Vincent tribute album), the Stargazers, King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys, the Chevalier Brothers, the Ray Gelato Giants, Sugar Ray's Flying Fortress, Big Joe Louis and the Shooting Stars and many others.

Currently, the Big Six are resting comfortably at the top of England's independent R&B charts. It's just a matter of time before they take a similar position in the States. Experience them cheap while you still can.

(© 1996-97 Weekly Alibi - Source: http://www.desert.net/alibi/03-18-98/showoff.htm)